10 Natural Benefits of Ginger

Ginger is an amazingly flavorful herb to include in your family menu. It’s easy to shred ginger into stir fries, juices and teas. These 10 natural benefits of ginger are powerful reasons to include it in your diet!

Healing tea is one way to deliver the 10 natural benefits of ginger

I invited Cara Cooperman to add her herbal wisdom to Homemade Food Junkie! Cara offers us information on 10 natural benefits of ginger! We have only recently begun to explore growing herbs here at Homemade Food Junkie, including ginger, in our garden and greenhouse. Our early results are great. Herb infused oils are coming soon to the blog. Cara offers us knowledge about the health benefits of ginger, well supported by science. I’m very excited to learn about the benefits of ginger! Ginger is amazing in sauces like Rhubarb Ginger Sauce. I also include Ginger in our juices for an extra zip and its’ health properties.

Cara Cooperman

Hi, I’m Cara. Since childhood I have always been a firm believer that our answer to health is found all around us in nature. My journey to pursue this professionally started in 1998 when I came to the United States.

I was quite surprised to see the amount of dependency there were to pharmaceuticals, even for the simple cold. With my firm conviction for natural healing, it was an easy transition for me to study herbalism. I by no means discredit the benefits of modern medicine, but I do not believe in the strict obedience as well. Every human body is unique, and maintaining health can be viewed from many angles. Visit my website at Natural Health Journals.

As an aspiring herbalist I believe that many health issues can be treated with the natural ingredients found in our gardens, farmers markets, and grocery stores. As a nation, the United States focuses too much on the dependency of pharmaceuticals to treat common ailments such as knee pain to the common cold. There are some foods that are in a category of their own, and are often referred to as superfoods.

If there is any one food that deserves to be called a “super food”, it would have to be ginger. Not only is it responsible for adding the spicy zing to gingerbread men, the root of the ginger plant has also been found to have several natural health benefits. For instance, in Asia, ginger has been used for over 2,000 years to treat various stomach ailments and improve digestion. Studies continue to find other health benefits of ginger. Here are 10 natural benefits of ginger!

Fresh Ginger

10 Natural Benefits of Ginger are as Follows:

Nausea Relief
Ginger has long been used to treat nausea and recent studies have found it to be effective in treating pregnancy-related nausea.

Osteoarthritis (OA) Knee Pain
A study published in the medical journal Arthritis & Rheumatism, in 2001 found that ginger extract was effective in reducing pain and other symptoms of OA of the knee brought on by standing and walking.

Indigestion
Those that suffer from chronic indigestion (dyspepsia) can find natural relief using ginger. A study published in the World of Gastroenterology in 2011 found that ginger was able to accelerate gastric emptying in patients with functional dyspepsia. Ginger is also known to help in the relief of indigestion in infants especially those who have colic.

Ginger can relieve symptoms of cramps, nausea and other ailments

4. Menstrual Cramps
Women suffering from menstrual cramps can get safe and effective relief with ginger, which was found to be as effective as ibuprofen and mefenamic acid in a clinical trial conducted between 2006 and 2007.
5. Cholesterol
High cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease, can be lowered using ginger, according to clinical studies on humans and rats. In one such study published in the Saudi Medical Journal, taking 3,000 mg per day of ginger for a period of 45 days decreased total cholesterol by 13 mg/dl and triglycerides by 9.5 mg/dl.
6. Muscle Aches and Pains
The effects of ginger on muscle pain have been studied and while it didn’t seem to offer immediate relief of pain and inflammation when taken after exercise, it was able to slow the day-to-day progression of muscle pain.
7. Blood Sugar and Diabetes Management
A small 2015 study on the effects of ginger on fasting blood sugar in diabetic patients yielded impressive results. It found that 2 grams of ginger powder a day significantly reduced the levels of: HbA1c, FBS, Apo B, Apo B/Apo A-I and MDA.
8. Chemotherapy Nausea
Nausea is one of the most common side effects of chemotherapy. A 2012 study found that a daily dose of 0.5 g to 1.0 g significantly reduced the severity of nausea in adult patients undergoing chemotherapy.
9. Motion Sickness
Motion sickness can result from any type of transportation, from riding in a car to a boat, causing symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, vertigo, and cold sweats. A study of ginger’s effects on seasickness found that powdered ginger significantly reduced nausea, as well as the other symptoms associated with seasickness.
10. Antioxidant PropertiesSeveral studies have highlighted ginger’s natural antioxidant properties. Antioxidants protect our bodies from the damage caused by internal and external free radicals. Antioxidants have been linked to a lower risk of several diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer’s. A study conducted in 2011 states that the high level of antioxidants in ginger is only surpassed by that of pomegranates. In order to benefit fully from ginger it’s best to follow the nutrient profile of ginger.

To Sum Up!

As you can see, ginger offers a safe and natural alternative for treating various conditions. As with any type of treatment, always consult your physician before using ginger to treat a medical condition. These 10 natural benefits of ginger are powerful reasons to include it in your diet!

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Comments

Dear Cara Cooperman,
Just Good to know that you are an aspiring herbalist. You are also a great writer too. Yes, health issues can be treated with the natural ingredients. I strongly agree with you. The 10 natural benefits of ginger you are providing is highly effective for us. I request you, Just keep on your mind in herbal research and give us good post in your website.